Former soccer coach arraigned for sexual battery

TROY — An ex-soccer coach from the area faced a common pleas court judge Monday at his arraignment and entered pleas of not guilty to two felony counts of sexual battery.

The sex suspect, Jeffrey S. Walden, 45, of Knoxville, Tenn., was arraigned on a superceding indictment for the pair of third-degree felonies and he remains behind bars at the Miami County Jail on a $200,000 bond.

If convicted as charged, Walden could faces up to five years for each charge and would be required to register as a sex offender following his release from prison for at least 15 years or longer.

Authorities say the charges stem from alleged sexual conduct the former coach had with a then 15-year-old girl between 2007 and 2010.

Walden served as a coach during the time of the sexual abuse when he worked with various travelling soccer teams, and once coached a soccer team in Brookville.

A pretrial conference was set for Jan. 6.

His attorney, Christopher Bucio, asked for his client’s bond to be modified, noting Walden has procured a residence in Clayton. However, a judge in the case denied lowering the bond.